Tap or faucet



March 1954 E. N. ALSINA ET AL TAP OR FAUCET Filed May 28, 1949 INVENTORS. Em/ ua NAVARRO ALSINA AND F REHTE GRAu BY Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES TNT QFFICE 2,671,465 TAP on FAUCET Enrique Navarro Alsina and Francisco Lorente Grau, Barcelona, Spain 2 Claims.

.Thepresent invention relates to a valve apparatus.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a valve apparatus which is capable of being attached to-the outlets of liquid containers such as tanks, cisterns, pipes, or bottles, to control the .flow of liquid therefrom.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a valve apparatus of this type which is of a simple construction and has an efiicient operation.

A further object of .thepresent invention is to provide a valve apparatus which is capable of producing a smooth .flow of liquid.

Another object of the;present invention is to provide a valve apparatus which is capable of automatically being maintainedin an open position until the container is empty of liquid at which time the valve apparatus is capable of automatically closing.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a valve apparatus which allows air to flow into the container as liquid flows out of the same.

With theabove objectsin view, the present-invention mainly consists of a valve apparatus to be placed at the outlet of a liquid container for controllin the flow of liquid therefrom, this apparatus includes a tubular outer casing having an inwardly extending flange at one end thereof and a cover member connected to an opposite end thereof and'formed with a pair of openings. .An operating member is turnably carried bythe cover member for movement about a predetermined axis and has a pair of .free bent endportions located respectively in the openings of the cover member, these bent end portions extending from a part of the operating member located along this axis and being displaced with respect to each other about this axis so that upon turning of the operating member about this axis from a rest to an operating position one of these end portions of the operating member is located ahead of the other of the .end portions thereof. -A resilient member is located in the outer casing against the cover member and is formed with a pair of openings respectively aligned with the openings of the cover member, this resilientmember having a pair of annular extensions respectively located about the openingson the side of the resilient member opposite from thecover member. .An inner casing is located within the outer casing next to the resilient member andhas an endwall located adjacent .theflange of :theiouterrcasing and an'open BlldglOCflllBdhflXtltO the-resilient member, thisinnor casing having a partition extending from its end wall to a part of the resilient member located between the openings thereof so as to divide the inner casing into two chambers respectively located about the annular extensions of the resilient member with the chambers respectively located opposite the end portions of the operating member, and the inner casing is formed inits end wall with an opening located opposite the other of the said operating member end portions. An elongated tubular member is located at the end wall of the inner casing opposite the said one operating member end portion, communicating with the interior of the inner casing, extending away from the cover member and has distant from the inner casing a closed end formed with a plurality of perforations. A resilient substantially conical adapter has an end flange located between the inner casing and inwardly extending flange of the outer casing to connect the adapter to the casings, this adapter being adapted to be connected to the outlet of a liquid container. Finally, a pair of ball members are respectively located in the chambers of the inner casing in engagement with the annular extensions of the resilient member, when the valve apparatus is closed, and being raised from said annular extensions one after the other by the end portions of the operating member to open the valve apparatus.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description ofspechic-embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partly sectional elevational view of an embodiment of the invention shown in connection with a fragmentarily illustrated liquid container.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l in the directionof the arrows and illustrating the operation of the structure of the invention.

The apparatus of Fig. 1 includes an outer tubular casing I which has an inwardly extending flange at one end thereof and an opposite open end formed with the threads 2 to threadedly connect the cover member 3 to the outercasing I, this cover member 3 being formed with apair'of openings 4 and 5 into which the bent ends fi and 1 of an operating memberB extend, this operating-member being turnably carried-by the-cover 3 for turning movement about an axis along which extends that part of operating member 8 from which the bent ends 6 and I extend, these bent ends being displaced with respect to each other about this axis for a purpose described.

On the inner face 9 of cover member 3 there is located a resilient elastic member In formed with a pair of openings II and I2 respectively aligned with the openings 4 and 5. This resilient member I is provided with a pair of annular extensions l3 respectively located about the openings thereof on the side of member In distant from cover member 3. An inner casing 18 is located within the outer casing l next to the member I 0 with an end wall of inner casing l8 located adjacent to the end flange of casing l and with an open end located next to the resilient member l0. The inner casing I8 is provided with a partition l9 extending from its end wall to a part of member I 0, located between openings H and I2 to form a pair of chambers l6 and I! in which the ball members [4 and [5 are respectively located for free movement, these ball members each having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of each annular extension I3 so as to respectively engage these extensions to close the valve apparatus, as shown in Fig. 1. The end wall of the inner casing I8 is formed with an opening 20 aligned with the chamber I1, and a tubular member 2| is fixed to the end wall opposite chamber l6 and communicates with the latter, this tubular member 2| having a closed end portion distant from casing l8 and formed with a number of perforations 22.

A resilient elastic adapter 23 has an end flange thereof located between the end wall of inner casing I8 and the end flange of outer casing I to connect this adapter 23 to the apparatus, the adapter 23 being substantially conical so as to be removably attachable to the outlet 24 of a bottle or the like.

To use the apparatus of Fig. 1, the operating member 8 is turned to move the bent ends 6 and 1 thereof toward the ball members l4 and I5, respectively, and it will be seen that the end 6 of operating member 8 is located nearer to the level of the ball members than the end 1, so that the ball member M will be raised before the ball member l5. Thus, the chamber IE will first be open to the atmosphere to allow air to flow into the chamber IE to the tube 2| and through the perforations 22 thereof into the liquid container. The ball member I5 which is moved from its seat shortly after the ball member 14, allows liquid to flow from the container through the chamber l1 and opening 5 of cover member 3, while air flows into the container through the chamber 5 and tube 2|.

The operating member 8 has a substantially U-shaped portion extending from the turning axis thereof, and this U-shaped portion is heavier than the ball members l4 and I5 so that the operating member 8 may be turned from the rest position of Fig. 1 through and beyond an operating position to a position corresponding to that of Fig. 2 where the ball members together with the pressure of liquid in the container maintain the operating member 8 in a raised position until the container is empty of liquid, at which time the operating member 8 falls back to the position of Fig. 1 by gravity so as to automatically close the valve apparatus.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of 4 valve apparatus differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a detachable valve apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Valve apparatus to be placed at the outlet of a liquid container for controlling the flow of liquid therefrom, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a tubular outer casing; a cover member connected to an end of said outer casing and being formed with a pair of openings; an operating member turnably carried by said cover member for movement about a predetermined axis and having a pair of free bent end portions located in said openings of said cover member, respectively, said bent end portions of said operating member extending from a part thereof located along said axis and being displaced with respect to each other about said axis so that upon turning of said operating member about said axis, one of said end portions of said operating member precedes the other of said end portions thereof; a resilient member located in said outer casing against said cover member and being formed with a pair of openings respectively aligned with said openings of said cover member, said resilient member having a pair of annular extensions located about said openings thereof, respectively, on the side of said resilient member opposite from said cover member; an inner casing located within said outer casing next to said resilient member and having an end wall distant from said cover member and an open end next to said resilient member, said inner casing having a partition extending from said end wall thereof to a part of said resilient member located between said openings thereof to divide said inner easing into two chambers respectively located about said annular extensions of said resilient member with one of said chambers located opposite said one end portion of said operating member and the other of said chambers located opposite said other end portion of said operating member, said inner casing being formed in its end wall with an opening located opposite said other chamber; an elongated tubular member located at said end wall of said inner casing opposite said one chamber, communicating with the latter, extending away from said cover member, and having distant from said inner casing a closed end portion formed with a plurality of perforations; and a pair of ball members freely located in said chambers of said inner casing, respectively, and each having a diameter larger than the diameter of each annular extension of said resilient member, so that said ball members engage said annular extensions, respectively, to prevent liquid from flowing through said casings, and so that when said operating member is turned, said one end portion of said operating member engages the one of said ball members in said one chamber to raise said one ball member from said resilient member and admit air to said one chamber for passage into said tube and through said perforations thereof into a liquid container connected to said outer casing, and whereby after said one ball member is raised by said one end portion of said operating member said other end portion thereof raises the other of said ball members in said other chamber to allow liquid to flow from the liquid container through said other chamber.

2. Valve apparatus as defined in claim 1 and wherein said operating member has a substantially U-shaped portion extending from and connected to said part thereof located along said axis, said U-shaped portion of said operating member being heavier than said ball members so that said operating member may be turned to a position where said ball members respectively rest on said end portions of said operating member to maintain, with the force of liquid in the container, said U-shaped portion of said operating member in a raised position, so that when the container is empty of liquid said U-shaped portion of said operating member will automatically move the latter by gravity.

ENRIQUE NAVARRO ALSINA. FRANCISCO LORENTE- GRAU.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 131,216 Hallenbeck Sept. 10, 1872 568,684 Howard Sept. 29, 1896 1,454,340 Schutt May 8, 1923 1,615,713 McDuffie Jan. 25, 1927 1,669,650 Bloch May 15, 1928 2,008,657 Deiller July 16, 1935 2,254,523 Graves Sept. 2, 1941 2,341,330 Parker Feb. 8, 1944 

